Regulator system



Patented Jan. 29, 1929.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

STEPHEN A. STAEGE, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC & MANUFACTURING COMPANY, A CORPOBATXON OF PENNSYLVANIA.

REGULATOR SYSTEM.

Application filed May 11, 1925.

lrry invention relates to regulator systems and more particularly to rheostats of the rotary contactor type for use in such systems.

One object of my invention is to provide an adjustable resistor having apractically infinite number of ell'ective re; stance steps.

A turther object of my invention is to provide a regulator system oi the aboveindicated character, in n rotary contactors adapted to internut v short 'irc'ui't a resistor for varying durao. of time to control. the eii'ectivo value thereof.

In przu'ticing my invention, 1 make use of rotary contactors of the type iscloscd in application Serial #530,708, filed by Nilliam E. Menzies, for speed regulator sys tems, on Jan. 30, 1922,'and assigned to the \Vestinghouse Electric 8; Manufacturing Company.

In my rotary contactor-type rheostat, rotary contactors of the Menzies type are driven by any suitable device at any desired speed and are utilized an adjustable resistor to client the control of the speed of a motor or the voltage of a generator or :tor any purpose for which a rheostat may be en'iployed.

1 preferably make use oi? two or more rotary contactor drums of the Menzies type, connected together by a dii ierentiahgear device the. center clemcnt or housing of which is rotatable and may be operated by hand or by a small motor. preferably through a worm gear.

The rotary contactor drums comprise C(HltilK'ilillg: and. non-conducting sets of segments, and pairs of cooperatin;- drums are connected in series-circuit relation with each other and in shunt-circuit relation to the regulated that is connected in the shunt lield circuit of the motor to be con- "rolled.

The angular phase positions of the rotary contactor drums determine the percentage of time that the resistance units are in circuit or short-circuited, thus, determining their effective values. By rotating the housing or middle element of the differential gear device in the one or the other direction, the angle of phase displacement oi one drum with respect to the other is varied, thus causing the ellective value of the resistance in the circuit to be varied. lVhen there is a zero Serial No. 29,410.

phase displacement between the drums, the lance is not included in circuit at all, whereas if there is 180 phase displacement, the resistance is then included in circuit all of the time. For intermediate degrees of displacement, the percentage of the time the resistance is in the field-winding circuit of the motor or the generator is proportional to the angle oi displacement between the rotary contactors.

in the accompanying drawing, Fig. 1 is a diagrammatic view of the circuits and apparatus employed in one embodiment 01" my invention Fig. 2 is a development of the rotary contactors, showing the relative time periods that the resistor sections are short circuited for different phase positions of the rotary contactors;

Fig. 3 shows an application of my invention to a sectionally driven paper-making machine; and

F ig. at shows an arrangement of rotary contactors for a master-control rheostat for sectional paper-machine drives.

Referring to the drawing, adynamo-elem trio machine 1 is illustrated as provided with an armature winding 2 and a field winding 3 that. are connected to the supply conductors 1 and 5. In series-circuit relation with the field winding 3, a resistor 6 is provided. which may comprise sections 7 and S. Rotary contactors 11. 12 and 13 are driven by a suitable motor 14 comprising an armature winding; 15 and a field winding 16 that are connected by means of conductors 17 and 18 to the supply conductors l and 5.

The rotary contactor 11 is shown provided with staggered conducting sections 19 and 21 and staggered non-conducting sections 22 and 23, all adapted to form a smooth cylindrical contacting surface. Likewise, the rotary contactor 12 is shown as provided with conducting sections 2-1 and. 25 and non-conducting sections 26 and 27; and the contactor 18 is provided with similar conducting sections 28 and 29 and nonconducting sections 31 and 32.

The several rotary contactors are respectively provided with brushes 33, 34 and 35, which are of suiiicient width to successively engage both of the staggered conducting sections of the corresponding contactors and are connected respectively to the middle point of the, resistor 6 and to the end points of the resistor sections 8 and 7. The rotary cont-actor 11 is provided also with nariow alined brushes 3e and 37, each of which alternately engages a conducting and a nonconducting segment of the contactor, these brushes being respectively connected to brushes 38 and 3.1 of the contactor 1 Similar brushes 11 and 42 out the contactor 11 are connected to brushes 13 and 4%, respectively 01 the contactor 1 1.

The rotary contactor 11 is mounted upon a shaft 15 that directly driven by the motor 1-1, and the cont-actors 12 and 13 are mounted upon a shaft 4-6 that is driven through a ditferential mechanism st? in accordance with the speed ot the motor 14-. The dilierential mechanism 457 eompri bevel gear-wheels 48 and 4-9 that are secured to the shafts l5 and refo iectively, to enbevel gear-wheels 51 that are mounted ui'iou housing The ar-wheels 51 and bk V the housing 02 ioyether comprise the inidiille or nlanetarv the ditlerential element ()1 meclianism. The housing is provided with a worm gear that is operated by means of a worm 53 in accordance with the operation of a shunt-type motor 5%. The motor 541- compris s an armature 55 and a field winding 56 that are energized from a suitable source 57, and is controlled by means of a reversing switch 58.

Fig. 2 of the drawing discloses a devel opment of the drum surfaces of the rotary contaetors 11, 12 and 13, the several views a, b, 0, (Z, c and showing dilTer-ent phase relations between the rotary contactors. The shaded strip at the extreme left of each of these views shows the proportionate value of resi :anee in the field circuit of the motor 1. in the view a, the position of the rotary contactors is such that there is a continuous short circuit of the resistor 6. 111 the view one of the resistor sections is shown continuously short circuited while the other is open cireuited, giving, in effect, a value of resistance equal to one-nah that of the resistor 6. in circuit with the field winding. In the view ,5, the entire resistance is in the field winding circuit. The other views show intermediate values of resistance and the position of the rotary contactors corresponding thereto.

The diagrams of connections between the several brushes are indicated below the development of the corresponoiug' rotary eontuctor drums and show each brush in line with the conducting and non-conducting segments engaged by that brush, and also show the spacing of brushes 36 and 37 from brushes 41 and 12 as equal to one-half the length of the conducting segments 19 and 21.

By a study of the view a in Fig. 2, i;- will be noted that the brushes 33, 34 and 35, continuously engage the conducting se ments of their respective cont-actor drums 11, 12 and 13. The brushes 36 and 37, and also the brushes tl and 42, alternately engage the conducting and non-conducting segments 19 ans s3, and 21 and 22, respectively, while the brushes 38 and 39 engage conducting an non-conducting se ments and 27, and 25 and 26, respectively, and the brushes 413 and -14- of the contactor 13 engage conducting and non-conducting segments 28 and 32, and 29 and 31, respectively.

Assuming that the several brushes are moving upwardly across the d'evelopme the drums, as illustrated, it will be seen that the brush 36 passes from the non-conducting segment 23 to the conducting segment 19 at the same time that the brush 38 passes from the non-conducting segment 27 to the conducting segment 2%, so that the se, ;ments 1S) and o the coutactors ll and 12 are connected together, thereby short-circuiting the sec-ti 8 0:? the resistor tor a certain period of rotation. As the brushes 36 and 38 pass from the conducting segments 19 and 24-, respectively, to the following non-cow ducting segi'nents 23 and 27, the brushes 3? and 39 will pass from their respective nonconducting segments 22 and 26 to the conducting segments 21 and 25, respectively, of the contactors 11 and 12, thereby closing the circuit between the brushes 33and 34.- through the brushes 3'? and 39 at the same i stant that are circuit is broken between brushes 36 and 38, thereby giving the effect of a permanent short-circuit between the brushes 33 and 34: for short-circuiting the resistor section 8 throughout the entire rotation of the rotary contactor drum.

Similarly, it will be noted that the drum 13 is displaced, with respect to the drum 12, a distance equal to one half the length of the conducting and nonconducting segments and that the brushes 41 and are similarly displaced with respect to brushes 36 and 37, so that the circuit conditions be tween the contractor drums 11 and 13 are exactly the same as between the contactor drums 11 and 12. That isto in the po.-'tion shown in the view a, the brush 4-3 ml Jass from a non-conducting segment to a .:ondueting segment 23, at the same time that the brush ll passes from a noneonducti segment gold the couducti iuent 19, s that, during the entire pr re of the brush 41 Zlt'l'O the conducting west 19, the brush -'..-3 will be passing 2M. conducting seginiiant thus short-circuiti the resistor sec 7. Also, as the brushes t1 and 13 engage the non-conducting segments 23 and 32, respectively, the brushes 42 and all will engage the conducting seg- 21 and 29 of the contactor drums, thus completing the circuit through the brushes 42 and 44 at the instant that the circuit broken through the brushes 41 and 43, and thus continually short-circuiting the resistor section 7.

lVith the displacement of the contactor drums illustrated in view I), there will be an intermittent short-circuiting of the resistor sections 7 and 8,, as the brushes pass over the contactor drums. The duration of the open circuit and the eticctive value of re ins rted in the circuit is indicated in cross-l'uitched strip at the left of the dram development. In the view 0. the proportr. oiii time that the resistor sections 7 and 8 are short-circuited is diminished, so that the pen and short circuited durations of time re 01" equal value. an effective value of resistance ecial to one-halt that of the resistor 8. it: ally. the vievs c and 7* show the ell ectiw value of resistance in circuit, with var n g phase positions between the rotary con ractor drama-1 11., 12 and 1%, the view j cox-reapondint;- to the e 'eme opposite position from that illustrate. in view (I, namely a phase variation of 180. corr sponding conditions during which no short-circuiting will be produced through the rotary contactors. Consequcn ly, the entire value of the resistor 6 will be etlective in the [ield circuit of the motor.

In F 3 ot the drawing 1 have illustrated my invention as applied for use with a sectional paper-mill drive, where both genorator and motor lieldcircuit control desired to control the speed of the paper-making; machine. The speed regulator illustrated in this view corresponds to the Men- Zies type regulator referred to above. A single paper machine roll 61. and a single driving motor 62 are illustrated, although it will he understooiil that this represents only one section of a. sectionally driven machine. The, motor 62 drives the roll 61 through shatt G3 and gear-wheels 35 and 66. The motor (52 comprises an armature winding 6'? that is connected to a va.riable-voltage supply circuit 3% and (39 by means o conductors 71 and and 's also provided with a lield winding- '73 that connected to constant-poteiu-ial supply conductors 74-. and '75 l v means 0 1': conductors T6 and 7'7. 111 cirwith the field winding ot the section uuror. 1 provide a resistor 79 comprising: raw-lions T9 and $1 l a resistor 92 comg; section-c H3 and til,

'l he master speed-re tei'encc ieans hi compi'ises a motor tuning an armature vrinding and a ield winding: 8?. the armature. winding being onnected by means oi: conductors SS and 89 to the varialilo-voltage supply conductors 68 and (i9. and the hold winding t7 being connected by means of conductors 91 and 92 to the constant-potential supply coi'iductors 74 and 7 In circuit with the field winding 87, a resistor 93 is provided, comprising sections 9 1 and 95.

A number of rotary contactors 96 of the Menzles type are driven by the master motor 85, one of which is shown as connected to the rotary contactois 97 and 98, which are driven in accordance with the operation of the section roll (51, by means of s. aft 99, co operating; cone pi'illeys 101 and 192, gearing mechanism 103 and shaft. -11:. The remainii contactors that are driven by the master speed-reference motor 85, may be connected to control the speed of the other section driving motor-sq as will be readily understood.

It is desirable to vary the speed of the entire group of motors driving the pape making machine in such manner that they remain in speed harmony. althougi h operating at a ditl'erent speed. This result may be effected by varying the voltage supplied to the armaturcs of the several section motors that are connected to the supply conductors 68 and 69.

It is, however. de irable in some cases to use a direct rheostat control for varying the speed of the motors. My invention lends itself readily to the use of a number of rheostats, one connected in the field circuit of each of the section motors, and all of them being controlled simultaneously. For examplc, a motor 105 drives a shaft 106 upon which are mounted a number of rotary contactors 107, 108 and 109, of the type described above and, through a differential mechanism 111, a shaft 112 drivis a similar set o't contactors 113 to 118. In the ditilerential device 111, a gear-wheel 119 is secured to the shaft 106 and a. gear-wheel 121 is secured to the. shaft 112. Each of these end gear-wheels meshes with the gear-wheels 122 comprising the middle element of the differential device. which element is driven through a worm 123 by a motor 124, as described in the system of Fig. 1.

It will be noted that the rotary contaetors 107, 1.13 and 11% are connected to control the effective value of the resistor 93 and that the rotary contactors 109, 117 and 118 are connected to control the etl'ectivo value of the resistor 82. Similarly. any number of resistors in the field circuits of a like number ot motors may be controlled at the same time.

In Fig. 1, I have illustrated one layout at the rotary coutactoi' drums and the means tor operating them. The several sets of drums 12. 126. 127 and 128 may be. operated by a. single motor 129 by means of gearivheels 131. 132 and 133. and ditl'crential mechanisms 134i and 135. The respective housings 136 and 137 of the differential mechanisms may be jointly operated by means of a worm 138 and a worm gear 139 that is engaged by a worm upon the shaft 141, which is driven by a motor 142 for etfecting changes in the relative positions lit) of the contactor drums. The layout of the rotary contactor drums illustrated in Fig.

4 does away with the necessity of having extremely long shafts upon which to mount the several rotary contactor drums.

lVhile I have illustrated my rotary-type rheostat as p rating upon two sections of a resistor element, it is obvious that, by the use of only two contactor drums, the entire resistance might be controlled in the same manner the individual sections of the rheostat have been described as being controlled, and also that by increasing the number of rotary contactors used, any number of sections of the resistor may be controlled. The pilot motor controlling the phase displacement between the rotary contactor drums may be operated by a push-button control or it may be operated as the pilot motor or rheostat motor of any regulator system Where a motor-operated i'heostat is desirable.

Many inodiliications in the apparatus and circuits employed a d in the location of parts may be made within the spirit oi" my invention, and I do not Wisi to be limited other than by the scope of the appended claims.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a regulator, a resistor element, a plurality of rotary contactors connected to said r sister element and mechanically interconnected to operate in a predetermined phase relation, and means for varying the phase relation between certain of said rotary contactors to vary the effective value of resistor element.

2. In a regulator, a resistor element, a plurality of rotary contactors connected to said resistor element and mechanically interconnected to operate in predetermined relative positions, connecting means betivee said rotary contactors, and means for varying the rclati e positions of said rotary contactors to vary the ciiective value of said resistor element.

3. In a regulator, a resistor element, a plurality of rotary contactors connected to said resistor element and mechanically inter connected to operate in predetermined relative positions, said rotary contactors bei g adapted to intei'niiitcntly short-circuit sair resistor eleinert, and means tor varyirsg' ill the relative position oi said rotary contactors to vary the ellective value of said resistor element.

41. In a regulator, a resistor element,

ieans for determining the effective value of said resistor element comprising; cooperating rotary contactors mechanically interconnected to operate in predetermined relative positions, and means for varying the relative position of said rotary cont-actors to vary the effective value of said resistor element.

5. In a regulator, a resistor element, a plurality of rotary contactors connected to said resistor element, means for actuating; said rotary con actors in a fixed speed relation, and means for varying the phase relation between said rotary contractors.

6. In a regulator, a resistor element, r0- tary contactors connected to said resistor element, means for actuating said contactors in a fixed soced relation, means for connect-- ing' said COi'llItlCt-Olf-J to intermittently shortcircuit said resistor element, and means for varying the phase relation bet veen said rotary contactors to vary the duration of said short-circuits.

7. In regulator, a resistor element, a plurality of rotary contactors connected to said resistor element and actuated to have a lietl speed relation, and means for varying relative position of said rotary contactors to vary the effective value of said resistor element.

8, In a regulator, a sectional resistor elen'ient, means for determining the ei'l'ective value said resistor element comprising cooperating rotary cont-actors conneotetd in s circuit relation itli each other for leting circuits in shunt relation to said resistor sections for intorn'iittently short-circuiting said sections, and means for varying the duration of said short-circuits.

9. In rotary rheostat, a sectional resistor element, rotary contractor means adapted to intermittently shortcircuit the respective sections of said resistor element, and means for varying the setting of said rotary contactor means to vary the effective value of said resistor elemen In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 29th day of April, 1925.

Sllllll lhl A. STAEGE.

Gil

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